Assassin's Creed: Compass
by TheNightReign
Summary: This work is to explore what could have happened after AC IV: Black Flag. In the modern day, the story follows the unnamed Abstergo employee from Black Flag, whom I have given the name of Julius Kaiser. In history, the story follows Jennifer Scott and her introduction into the Order by unexpected means when Templars begin a new quest for a new Piece of Eden.
1. Chapter 1: A New Dream

**Author's Note: This is a work of fiction using the setting presented in the Assassin's Creed world. I do not claim ownership over any copyrighted material. If you as a reader have any comments/suggestions/feedback that you would like to provide, please use the review box below. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.**

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**Chapter 1: A New Dream  
New York City, NY - April 2014**

The first drops of spring rain began to fall as Julius ran across the rooftop of a building on the north edge of Brooklyn. The spring storm was gearing up for a downpour and he didn't have a lot of time left to get off the roof before running and jumping became hazardous to his health. Looking ahead, Julius spotted a roof access door the far end of the building. He darted across the roof and came to a skidding halt as he rounded the corner of the shed-sized access. Julius then peeked around the edge of the wall to see if the Abstergo agent that was chasing him was still following him and saw no one.

"Rebecca, do you have eyes on the agent?" Julius asked after turning on the Bluetooth link at his ear that was connected to the phone in his pocket. He ran his fingers through his brown hair to keep the beads of sweat from his chocolate colored eyes.

"There aren't any security cameras on that roof. Sorry Julius, I'm blind." Rebecca Crane said with a huff, "Last known position was two buildings south of you."

Julius gave a sigh and peeked around the edge of the wall again and still saw nothing, "Damn he's fast. See if you can find me an exit point that leads me out to the A line."

"I'm on it." Rebecca said.

"Well you know generally speaking, the human race has continued to excel in tests of physical and mental prowess since recorded history. People of Ancient Rome would probably think of us as god-like men." Shaun Hastings interjected over the link.

"Not helpful Giles." said Julius.

"I've told you before that isn't my name. I don't know why you keep insisting on referring me to that television character." said Shaun.

Julius couldn't help but give a grin, "Because you're British."

"Ha ha, bloody funny." Shaun grumbled.

After another moment passed, Julius took one last look around the corner to see if the agent managed to catch up. It was really the worst possible day for him to run into Abstergo Security while doing his morning athletics training. Thankfully, he had been wearing his trusty white hoodie so the agent didn't see his face. He did, on the other hand, see the dual wrist blades out in the open shining off the partial morning sun. Despite what he thought of Abstergo Security, he could not say that they were dumb. From there it was a foot race across rooftops, which Julius was going to do anyway so he guessed he could thank the agent for just speeding along the exercise.

When Julius could find no sight of the agent, he stepped out from behind the roof access room and reached out to open the door. He then jerked his body backwards as he saw the handle jiggle just slightly before the door swung open and an Abstergo Security agent was standing in front of him. He looked different from the one that was chasing him, but was no less dangerous. The agent arched a brow in surprise, not expecting Julius to be standing in the doorway and then raised his hand that held his 9mm sidearm pistol to put an end to the chase.

Julius, however, was faster and pulled his head to the right to narrowly dodge the bullet while lashing out with his fist to punch the agent's wrist, causing the gun to drop from his hand. The shot echoed in the morning air and scattered the local pigeons that were nesting nearby. Without his gun, the agent took a step forward and threw a right hook that caught Julius on the shoulder. He then followed up with a left cross, but Julius managed to block the punch with his forearm and then countered with kick to the groin.

The agent crumbled to the ground in the doorway, grabbing at his groin in pain. Julius quickly hopped over the agent through the doorway and raced down the stairs; hoping to put a good amount of distance between him and the agent.

"Becca! I need that exit." said Julius as he continued down the stairwell.

"What was all that noise?" Shaun asked.

"God damn Agent Smith called in backup and nearly got me at the stairs." Julius said. He then paused and looked up the stairs to see the agent starting to make his way down the stairs.

"Julius, there is an underground access to the A line in the basement of the next building to your north." said Rebecca.

"Copy that." Julius replied and pulled away from the stairs to enter the tenth floor hallway of the apartment building. The harsh hallway lights in combination with the smell of refuse hit Julius' senses and nearly made his stomach turn. At the other end of the hallway was a window that looked over across the alley to the other building. There was no way he could get a running jump to that distance between the two buildings. He would need to climb and in a hurry as he could hear the agent racing down the stairs after him.

Julius bolted down the hallway, dodging debris as well as an elderly lady walking out from her apartment in her nightgown, pink hair curlers and a cup of coffee. Just before reaching the closed window, he could hear a scream from the old lady and the drop of her coffee cup. Julius didn't need to look behind him to know that the agent was now in the hallway and most likely had his gun out in the open. Two doors before the window, Julius spotted a baseball bat leaning against the wall. As he ducked to grab the bat, just in time to avoid the gunfire from the agent behind him. Julius then threw the bat end of end at the window, where the head shattered the glass on impact and onto the metal fire escape.

Without slowing down, Julius dove through the broken window with his arms outstretched. He then grabbed onto the railing of the fire escape as his forward momentum brought the rest of his body over the edge. Julius gave a grunt as he slammed into the metal bars, but managed to hold on to the railing just as more gunfire whizzed overhead. A quick look down told him that falling more than a hundred feet was a bad idea and instead looked across the open air to the building that was only eight feet away. He turned around and used his upper body strength to bring his feet up against the metal bars. Julius then let out a steady calm breath before using his legs to launch himself off the fire escape and into the air.

Time seemed to slow down as Julius twisted his body in the air to watch the neighboring building rush up to him. He quickly scanned the building for handholds and found a window ledge just slightly to his left. He reached out with his hands and grabbed hold of the ledge with his fingers as the rest of his body impacted against the hard brick wall. Only through sheer force of will and strength was Julius able to keep his hold on the ledge against the inevitable pull of gravity. Now that he was sure he wasn't going to fall, he began to scale the wall using the ledges until he reached the building's fire escape.

Once Julius was on a firm landing again, he turned to start heading down when a bullet hit the metal bars of the fire escape. Julius ducked his head and looked to the window next to him and saw that it was closed. With a swift kick he broke the glass and dove into the apartment hallway just as several more shots hit the brick wall around the window. Now that he was in the building, it was now a foot race with the agent down to the bottom floor. The advantage went to Julius as he didn't have to exit the building, he just needed to get into the basement and find the underground access panel.

"Becca, I'm in the other building." said Julius as he ran down the hall to the stairwell.

"Already?" asked Rebecca.

"I sort of just jumped over. Don't worry about it; just find me the underground access panel. I should be in the basement in a couple minutes." said Julius.

"And once again, I'm ahead of you Julius," replied Shaun over the link, "You'll find the access panel in the northeast corner of the basement. It should be next to the furnace and what looks to be a janitor's office."

"Got it." said Julius as he ran down the stairs.

"Be careful. There's still another agent around somewhere." said Rebecca.

It only took Julius a few minutes to descend down the ten flights of stairs to reach the basement. There was a musty smell in the air, a mix of old socks and mildew as Julius cautiously stepped into the open room. Most of the walls were lined with wire cage storage lockers filled to the brim with random useless clutter and the most likely candidate for the lovely smell. At the other end of the basement was the maintenance room and office with its door shut and the lights off. It did not take Julius long to find the access panel that led down into the subway tunnel. He unscrewed the panel, crawled inside, and then put the panel back in place just in time to see a person's shadow precede them into the basement. What followed was the man who initially spotted Julius on the rooftop and chased him across several before apparently going street side in case his partner wasn't able to finish the job.

The agent stepped cautiously into the basement, moving more graceful than his large linebacker-build would indicate. His suit of black with white shirt and tie did little to disguise the man as a corporate player. Instead, the man looked like a UFC reject with his short cut blonde beard along his strong jawline that matched his short cropped dark blonde hair. His nose looked like it had been broken more than once and his brow was slopped over quizzical blue eyes. Despite what Julius may have thought of the man who began looking around the basement based on appearances, he was not a man he wanted to get into a fight with just yet.

Like a tiger stalking prey, the blond haired agent inspected the floor with intense scrutiny, but in the end, he failed to look inside the access panel to see Julius watching him. A few minutes later, the agent gave a grunt of disappointment and left. Julius waited a few minutes just to make sure the agent wasn't secretly waiting for him to emerge from his hiding spot.

Julius let out a sigh of relief once the man was gone before turning around and making his way down the passage until he reached the underground subway system. From there, it was a quick run over to the station where he boarded the A train and made his way into Manhattan. The train was lightly populated, giving Julius a chance to take a breather from the morning's extra workout. He then chatted briefly Rebecca and Shaun about the incident and that hopefully the agents didn't get a good look at his face with all the commotion. The conversation did not go much further; Shaun wanting to wait to have the rest of the conversation after Julius finished work at his day job when it would be more private.

When the train came to a stop, Julius filed out of the train and made his way street side to find that the morning rain that was threatening earlier had given way to a full downpour. He popped up his hoodie over his head and quickly made his way down the street through the morning commute crowd until he finally reached his job as a Game Developer at Abstergo Entertainment, New York Branch. Ever since the strange and dangerous encounter with James at the Canadian office, Abstergo decided to move part of their game development operations to New York.

After successfully unlocking the genetic memories of Edward Kenway, Julius was something of a celebrity within his management team as the game he helped create went on to become a blockbuster hit. Since the alpha development team was going to New York, they decided to relocate Julius to New York to begin work on another project. That had been three months ago and while waiting for the office to be finished, Julius was given a paid vacation to settle in and enjoy the city before getting to work.

Instead of relaxing, Julius spent his time with Rebecca Crane and Shaun Hastings learning the ways of being an Assassin. He thought it would be easy, after all, he spent so much time in the Animus being Edward Kenway, and it made sense to him that he could carry over the knowledge to real life. Unfortunately, his body seemed to disagree with him. First he had to get in shape, which was still a work in progress. Next he had to train his body to work like an Assassin from memories that were not his own. Though he could somewhat duplicate the ability to climb, fight, and blend into crowds, most of the time it only worked on a rudimentary level. He had a long way to go before he could be as good as the Order hoped he could be.

Today was the first day that employees were allowed in the new Abstergo Building. It was spacious and modern in its design with lots of plants scattered throughout the building. The reception area was partially filled with employees, many of which he remembered from the Canadian branch. Julius made his hellos and made small talk until it was his turn to register with security. He approached the desk and was relieved to find that the large agent that was chasing him earlier was not present, just the always smiling Linda Clark, receptionist extraordinaire.

After swiping his badge, Linda handed him his new Abstergo tablet and updated his credentials for access to the employee lounge and the 23rd floor, which would be where his new workstation was located. Like the other office, access to virtually the rest of the building was off limits except this time he didn't have a crazy tech guy trying to get him to hack every company in the company.

Julius stepped off to the side and turned on his tablet to see what his assignment would be, but the only message was to report to James Masters, the Game Development Director. A chill ran down Julius' back as he wondered if the agent did manage to make out his face after all, but he then quickly dismissed the idea. If he had been made, security wouldn't have even let him in the building, let alone given him a tablet.

The email from Director Masters showed his appointment at 8am sharp on the 25th floor. It also contained a temporary access key so Julius could access the floor via the lift. Checking the time on his tablet, there was only a few minutes before he needed to be at the meeting and so Julius hurried over to the lift and brought up the temporary access key for the 25th floor. The elevator acknowledged his access code and immediately began its ascent to the Directors office. The lift then came to a stop a few moments later to a spacious office with a large desk in front of a glass wall overlooking downtown. A middle aged man of black hair and eyes in a button up shirt and slack looked up as the lift chimed his arrival.

"Ah! Mr. Kaiser! You're early, I like that." James Masters said with full smile showing a set of perfectly white teeth.

Julius stepped into the office holding his tablet close to his chest, "Thank you sir. I'm just trying to do my best."

James stood up from his desk and made his way over to shake Julius' hand, "It is your best that brought you here Julius and the reason I asked you here this morning. Your work on the Kenway project was masterful and the game's success is in large part because of your work."

"Thank you sir." said Julius, trying not to let his fake enthusiasm get the best of him.

James, still smiling, turned and walked back over to his desk to pick up a flash drive, "With your great success, we have high hopes for you moving forward. I'm sure you are curious to know what our next project will be. Care to take a guess?"

"Um, perhaps ninjas sir. They are always quite popular." said Julius.

"Sadly no. That is a future project we are still looking into." said James, shaking his head and then held up the flash drive, "We're looking into doing a sort of sequel to the infamous pirate Edward Kenway. Except this time, we want you to dive into the memory of his daughter, Jennifer Scott."


	2. Chapter 2: Lost Hope

******Author's Note: This is a work of fiction using the setting presented in the Assassin's Creed world. I do not claim ownership over any copyrighted material. If you as a reader have any comments/suggestions/feedback that you would like to provide, please use the review box below. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.**

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**Chapter 2: Lost Hopes  
London, England - August 1732**

Jennifer smoothed out the rumples in her dress after sitting down in her father's carriage. The attempted proposal to court from Douglas Atherton at the opera house unnerved her. It wasn't just that he called her by the wrong surname, something she had repeatedly corrected him on, it was that she barely even knew the man. It was the fact that he and society at large expected her to be married by now with children on the way. Yet, it was not something she was ready for. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the urge for adventure ran through her veins. A gift from her father Edward Kenway.

A brief thought entered her mind to entertain the courting of Douglas. After all, he was the son of a well off noble family with a promising career in politics. With his family's wealth combined with her father's riches, Douglas and she would be the new prominent couple in all of London. They could have anything they wanted. Anything but love and freedom.

So deep in thought, Jennifer didn't even notice when her little brother Haytham climbed into the carriage. He was all smiles and talking nonstop about the lead singer and her choice of white dress.

"Moo! Look at me! I'm a cow! Moo!" Haytham babbled happily.

A rich laugh followed the little boy that finally brought Jennifer out of her thoughts. When Edward Kenway entered the carriage, she flashed him a small smile to hide her conflicted thoughts, "It was a lovely performance father."

"It was. All prim and proper like." Edward replied and settled Haytham into the seat next to him as he continuing mooing.

"Speaking of proper, I am still waiting for the acceptance letter from Oxford. Have you heard anything from President Williams about it?" Jennifer asked.

Edward gave an immediate sigh and shook his head, "I'm sorry love, but Robert still has not bent to my request to have you fully admitted as a student."

The news brought a flash of anger across Jennifer's face as she balled up her fists, "This is just deplorable! Why can't a woman study just like a man? I'm just as intelligent as those blokes if not smarter!"

"Jenny..."

"No father. No more 'let me handle it' this time. On the morrow I'm going to walk up to the President's office and demand that I be allowed to attend the Spring semester."

Edward calmly shook his head, "And what good would that do? Do you want to get arrested? How would that make you look? What about us? What about Haytham? You can't just go off halfcocked and expect to get what you want."

"Isn't that would you did father when you left mom to go privateering across the Caribbean?" Jennifer said with a scowl. "Look how it turned out for you! You're rich now. You have title and a fair maiden for a wife. All perfectly and neatly wrapped in a big red bow. Why can't I have it too? Why can't I find love and happiness and money and power? Why?"

Edward gave a frown and nodded slowly, "You are right. I did leave your mother to do those things and because of that, I was not there to see you born or to see her before she died. It is something that I regret and must live with for the rest of my life. I don't want you to make the same mistake that I did."

"It isn't a mistake to do something that I want to do." Jennifer said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"That isn't wait I said Jenny," Edward said and then gave a heavy sight, "Lord knows that I have done many things in the pursuit of what I wanted to do and not all of them brought me the happiness I sought. Do you remember what I taught you? Nothing is true. Everything is permitted. That does not mean, however, to go halfcocked on a fool's errand. Lord knows I learned that the hard way. Be smart about it. I do want you to follow your dreams and follow your heart. I want you to be educated, but the world is not ready for you yet. So you must do it another way."

Jennifer listened quietly to her father. Her attempt to use his life as a privateer to justify her own desire to attend Oxford was being turning against her. She hated him for using her mother as a reason for not pushing the university to admit her. It was the one thing that still kept them from being a true family in her opinion. He left her for money so they could have a better life together. She died before he was able to fulfill that desire. Now she was asking him and her brother to wait while she tried to get into Oxford so that their lives could be better. What if something happened to them while she pursued that goal just like it happened to her father? She wasn't sure she could forgive herself for that for as much as she hated that her mother was gone, she had come to love her father and her little brother.

"Everything that I've wanted was through Oxford. If I can't have that, what will I do?" Jennifer asked, dropping her gaze down to her lap.

The carriage began to move as Edward leaned forward and put his hand to Jennifer's knee, "Forget them, if they can't see past their arse, then they don't deserve you. If they won't let you into Oxford, then we just need to find another way to find the knowledge you seek. It may be less posh than what you are used to."

"Spoken like a true pirate." Jennifer said with a hint of a grin.

"Aye lass." said Edward, "We can discuss it more this evening at the manor."

Jennifer nodded, "Thank you father." She said and looked out the carriage window as they made their way back to the Kenway Manor.

After returning to England, Edward used his fortune obtained a decent manor on the outskirts of London proper next to the Thames River for the two of them to settle down and try to be a family. It was hard at first, moving from the laws of the sea to the laws of the land, but Edward adjusted and found a decent living as an antiquities dealer and procurer of new world items from his contacts in the Caribbean. It was not the life his blood called for, but Jennifer knew that he willingly made the sacrifice so that she could have a parent to look after her until she came of age.

Jennifer, meanwhile, continued with her schooling by day and listening to her father's stories of his adventures on the sea and with the Assassin Order. The stories, while certainly entertaining, helped her piece together who her father was as a person and understand why he did the things he did. It was the tales of the Order that caught her attention the most and how they chiseled away the roughness of being a pirate to help him find honor and purpose in life even when he didn't want it. They helped him find his compass by tearing away the lies of what is and is not true and right based on morality and humanity. By stepping away from man's imposed laws of morality, which were colored by opinion and religion, one was able to be truly free. It was this more than anything else that changed her father from the man her mother told her about into the man that she finally met.

As the carriage rounded the last bend in the road towards their manor, Jennifer looked backed to her father who was playing with Haytham. Her mother might have been right at one point in time about what kind of man Edward was, but if she could see him now, Jennifer was sure that Caroline would be pleased.

After the carriage came to a stop, the driver opened the door and allowed the three of them to exit. The seneschal of the manor, Mr. James Archibald, was awaiting them near the front door in his usual immaculate suit and tie.

"Welcome back sirs and lady. I trust the opera was enjoyable?" James asked.

"Oh Mr. Archibald, you should have been there! It was lovely." Jennifer said

"Truly it was an excellent performance." Edward said, "I trust all is well here?"

James Archibald gave a slight nod of his head, "Yes sir. While you we out, a pair of gentleman arrived to see you. A Mr. Winston and Mr. Moore. They are awaiting you in the study as they insisted on waiting for your return."

Edward arched a brow and a look of concern came over his face before he quickly buried it away with a pleasant fake smile, "Very well then, I shall see to them presently. If you would kindly see Haytham to a bath and then straight to bed."

"Aww, come on pappa! I don't want to go to bed yet! I want to be a knight in shining armor like the man from the play!" Haytham said with his pouting face showing.

"I bet you do Haytham! But if you want to be a knight, then you have to be as clean and well rested as Arthur. Can you do that for me?" Edward said with a chuckle while shooing the boy into the house.

Once Haytham was inside and led away by Archibald, Edward looked to Jennifer with a more serious demeanor, "I'm sorry love, apparently business calls even this late at night. Perhaps we can speak in the morning?"

Jennifer gave a smile and nodded, "Of course father. I understand that duty calls. I will be in my room getting into something more comfortable and lets me breath like a proper human being."

Edward flashed a smile, "Thank you Jenny." He said before giving her a kiss on the cheek. He then quickly made his way inside and made his way towards the study at the western wing of the manor.

As she made her way towards her room, Jennifer wondered why her father reacted the way he to the names of the people who were in her home. Was it someone from his past in the New World perhaps? The curiosity quickly got the better of her and she changed direction to head towards the library, which joined the study on the opposite end that her father took. She told herself that a quick eavesdropping never hurt anyone. What was the worst that could happen?


	3. Chapter 3: Eye of God

******Author's Note: This is a work of fiction using the setting presented in the Assassin's Creed world. I do not claim ownership over any copyrighted material. If you as a reader have any comments/suggestions/feedback that you would like to provide, please use the review box below. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.**

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**Chapter 3: The Eye of God**  
**London, England - August 1732**

The Kenway library was an impressive sight to behold, even by English standards. From his years in the Caribbean, Edward collected just as many books as he did gold and reales. The vast number of tomes covered a wide variety of topics from professional manuals to romance novels written in English, Spanish, and Dutch. It was more than enough information for a growing woman to learn about the world without being harassed by the public for reading beyond what society expected her to. Now, at age nineteen and in thanks to the library and schooling, Jennifer Scott was more learned than the average Englishman and perhaps even some teachers.

It was her thirst for knowledge that drove Jennifer to read, but what also fed her insatiable curiosity. It was ultimately that curiosity that brought her to the library and to the door that led into her father's study. The door was already slightly ajar as Jennifer approached, the soft pulsing golden light of the lantern outlining the edge of the door frame.

Peering through the crack, she could see her father in mid discussion with two men. Edward was speaking primarily with the older one, a seemingly Italian man dressed in simple black trousers, and a dark gray tunic. His hair was brown with the beginnings of gray along the temple. His skin was tanned and leathered, much like Edwards from prolonged exposure to the sun. Leaning against the far wall was a similar dressed younger man with his arms crossed over his chest and a slight frown on his lips. He was attractive in Jennifer's eyes with a muscular build, shoulder length brown hair and eyes the color of the ocean.

Edward flashed a smile of pride at the older man, "Things are good here. Jenny is a grown woman now with a keen mind, a gift from her mother no doubt. Little Haytham has already shown promise and I think he will be a fine addition to the Order in another ten years or so."

"I am glad to hear it. When he is ready, have him come to my home in Florence and I will ensure he is trained by our best mentors." the old man said.

"Thank you Angelo, that means a great deal to me." said Edward.

Angelo waved a hand, "No thanks are needed. An Auditore always honor a debt, especially those of the Order. You saved my life when you boarded that Spanish frigate and pulled me from the burning hell those Templars had planned for me. It is but a small price to look after your son as he learns from us. What of your daughter though? You do know that we also train women. Ezio was particular about that when he rebuilt the Brotherhood. All can assist, in a variety of different ways."

Edward shook his head, "I do not think it is the life she would want. She is more interested in books and quiet places rather than a life of adventure."

Jennifer arched a brow and felt a wave of annoyance wash over. It wasn't like her father to keep something from her or prevent her from pursuing opportunity. To now hear him speaking of keeping something from her because she was like books angered her. To add to the anger, it was also something that her little brother was being trained for to join when he came of age. Her father spoke very little of the Order in the years after returning to London. She knew vaguely what it was and what they did, but nothing in-depth. Her curiosity to learn more was rapidly increasing the more she listened.

Angelo have a nod, "Very well, I shall respect your wishes. Should that change, know that she is always welcome in Florence."

"So noted. Now, what brings you all the way to London Angelo?" Edward asked.

Angelo gave a sigh, "Business I'm afraid. There is a local Minister here in London named James Anderson that has gained the Order's interest."

Edward tilted his head as he recognized the name, "Anderson? Aye, I know the man. He heads the Presbyterian Church over on Swallow Street. Do believe him to be a Templar?"

"Freemason actually. He recently wrote a book on the genealogies of various rulers of Europe. Within that book is a line of Kings going back to Solomon and a reference to an object called the Eye of God. The Order believes that it could be a piece of Eden." Angelo said.

"Sounds like a ghost chase to me old friend. Why would he make reference to a piece of Eden in a public book?" asked Edward.

Angelo shook his head, "We don't think he realizes what it actually is."

"But you do?"

"Altair's Codex speaks of a Compass that shall point to the temple of the wise within the birthplace of God's son. We already knew the location to be the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. The part we didn't know was the Compass. Edward, we think the compass is Anderson himself. You see, the Freemasons use a compass as their sigil and we think Anderson is the key to unlocking the crypt that holds the Eye of a God. To make matters more difficult, the Freemasons are somewhat allied with the Templars. If they manage to get their hands on a piece of Eden, it would be catastrophic." Angelo said.

Edward gave a frown, "Just like that thing in the Caribbean, another disaster waiting to happen. But, it sounds like you blokes have everything you need to deal with the situation this time. I only fixed the last one because I mucked it up to start. Why come to me with a new one?"

Angelo gave a charming smile, "You know this city better than I. We need your help getting around so we can acquire Anderson quietly. I promise, this is just a simple quiet extraction. Once we have Anderson, you can go back to your posh life."

Edward was quiet for a moment and then shook his head, "Not really my style to be honest. I'm not really one for sneaking about. Besides, I have two children to look after now and this would be in my own backyard. If things went badly, I would lose everything."

"If you are concerned about your children's safety, I can guarantee that nothing will happen to them." Angelo said and the. Motioned to the younger man, "Bryson Moore is my most promising student. He can keep them safe while we complete the mission."

Jennifer flicked a glance back over to the young man as his name was mentioned. He was still up against the wall, but the frown was now gone and replaced by a serious expression of determination, "I won't let anything happen to them Mr. Kenway." he said, his voice deeper than she expected.

Edward shook his head, "No offense Angelo, but I don't know this kid and I'm not leaving some stranger to protect my kids. I told Ah Tabai I would return when my work here is finished and I'll return when I'm damn good and ready."

Angelo gave a sigh, "And how long are you going to draw out your mission Edward? Another five years? Ten years? Twenty? Your association with the Order has always been tenuous at best. What if I could say that this is your last mission? If you complete this task for me, then your debt to the Order is fulfilled and you may come and go as you please as an honored member."

"Dammit Angelo." Edward said with a sigh before taking a seat in his leather chair, "Do you promise me that I am done after this? That I am free to do what I want with no more errands or tasks?"

"Yes." Angelo replied.

"And your student? Can he protect my children? Do you swear it by your blood and the Brotherhood?" Edward asked.

"With his life if it comes to that. I swear it." Angelo said.

Edward nodded in resignation, "All right. I will make the arrangements. When were you planning on moving on Anderson?"

"The sooner the better. Before winter preferably." Angelo replied.

Jennifer leaned away from the door with her hand to her mouth to keep herself from being too loud at the news she just heard. Her father was about to leave them to go on some secret mission and leave a stranger to protect them, but protect them from what? What was the Eye of God and why was it so important?

Having heard enough, Jennifer quietly slipped away from the door and then quickly exited the library back to her room on the second floor.


	4. Chapter 4: Reasoning with Truth

**Author's Note: This is a work of fiction using the setting presented in the Assassin's Creed world. I do not claim ownership over any copyrighted material. If you as a reader have any comments/suggestions/feedback that you would like to provide, please use the review box below. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.**

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**Chapter 4: Reasoning with Truth  
London, England - August 1732**

Once in her room, Jennifer quickly undressed and changed into a more comfortable cotton white dress with a pair of matching house shoes. All of her jewelry was neatly put away and when she brought her hair down, she gave a pleasant sigh of relief as her golden hair tumbled down her back. Between removing the corset and letting her hair down, Jennifer felt like a human being again and was one of her most treasured moments in the day.

Jennifer never subscribed to society's social normality of a woman's appearance should look like. Despite everything her mother tried to instill in her during her childhood, she passed on to soon for those societal norms to take root. It was during her truly impressionable years that her father Edward threw out the notion of being what everyone wanted her to be and looking the part. He replaced it with independence and freedom of choice like any good pirate would do. It always came back to the statement: Nothing is true. Everything is permitted. It was that statement that allowed her to pursue knowledge and schooling and dress how she wanted to dress. Though she would be required to wear more formal attire to events such as the opera they just attended, everything else was her choice and she took full advantage of it.

It was that line of thinking that was also making her angry about Edward's submission to the Order on their mission involving the Eye of God. Why would he cater to their need when he always preached independence for everything? Why would he also plan to send Haytham to them to be trained in the ways of the Order? The more she thought about how much these things made her father seem to be living two lives, the more those things burned at her mind and trust.

A knock came from her door a few minutes later while she was brushing her hair. Jennifer called out for the person to enter, expecting her father on the other side.

The door opened and Edward stepped into her room still dressed in his formal clothing. Upon seeing her already dressed in her usual house dress, he gave a smile, "Couldn't wait to get out of those clothes I see."

"I was out the second I walked into my room." Jennifer said as she turned around to face her father, returning his smile, "All finished with your business?"

Edward gave a nod, "For the evening and is also why I've come. This business will require a few months of work which may have me away at times."

"What kind of business?" Jennifer asked even though she already knew the answer. She needed to know his thoughts on why he ultimately took the mission. She needed to know if this was only about what he wanted or her father had finally grown up enough to consider others.

"The less you know, the better," Edward said, pulling his gaze away as to not look into her eyes, "It's better that way."

Jennifer gave a frown, "So it's dangerous? How dangerous? How could you work for them while Haytham is still so young? He can't take care of himself if something were to happen to you."

"It wasn't by choice Jenny, you have to believe me. But this is the last one. After this, I'm retired." Edward said.

A storm of rage boiled up in Jennifer as she stood up from her chair, "You said the same thing to mom before you left and look how that turned out!"

"That isn't fair Jenny."

Jennifer didn't stop as she stalked towards him with her finger up and pointing at him, "Fair? You want to talk about what is fair? What about what was fair to mom? What about what is fair to me? Do you think I wanted a new mother? A little brother?"

Edward staggered back a step from the verbal assault and looked more wounded than any sword or pistol could muster, "Leave Anne out of this. She did nothing to hurt you. I never did any of this to hurt you." he said a few moments later after recovering.

"So you are going to leave me now just like you left mom?" Jennifer asked.

"I dread that mistake every day love." Edward said quietly, "Not a day passes that I don't miss Caroline and her sweet smile. I promise you Jenny that I won't make the same mistake again. This time will be different. I am going to have someone stay here to watch over the family while I'm gone to make sure that nothing happens to either of you."

Jennifer gave a scowl and put her hands on her hips, "I don't want some halfwit street urchin protecting me! He may be cute, but if your stories about the Templars are even half as true as you say, I'll need more than just him to keep us safe."

Edward arched a brow curiously, "How do you know if he is cute?"

"Well...I...uh...heard him when I was walking by." Jennifer said as she took a step back and looked down.

"You were spying on us?" Edward said as he took a step forward. Though he asked with a touch of anger in his voice, the small upturn at the corners of his lips suggested he was toying with her.

Jennifer had never been good at lying to her father. He was too perceptive, more than people have him credit for. She slumped her shoulders a bit and nodded, "I was curious as to what kind of business would call upon you at this late hour."

Edward maintained his not quite angry posture, "Then you heard me decline at first. It wasn't until they said I could be free of debt that I took the mission. Besides, they need this done quick and quiet. It will probably be an easy score and then we can finally be free to focus on us. Me, you, and Haytham."

"But what if something does go wrong?" Jennifer asked.

"Then we shall deal with it as it comes. That is why Mr. Moore will remain here at the estate to look after you and Haytham."

"But I don't trust him. I don't even know him."

"Give it time. Angelo trained him and trusts Bryson enough to pay his life debt with me with his student's help. That is good enough for me."

Jennifer started to speak, but Edward held up his hand for silence, "God knows you must be my daughter to question this much. Please, just do as I ask this once?"

"Yes father." Jennifer said with a sigh, "But be quick about it. I want to be done with this last job so we can move on and be a real family like you promised."

Edward stepped forward and wrapped Jennifer in a hug, "As do I Jenny. As do I."

Jennifer put her head to her father's chest and sighed one last time. A feeling that something might go wrong on this last mission crept into the back of her mind and sat there like a large stone. If this was going to be the last time she saw her father, she wanted to savor his comforting hug for as long as she could.


	5. Chapter 5: Two Sides of the Coin

**Author's Note: This is a work of fiction using the setting presented in the Assassin's Creed world. I do not claim ownership over any copyrighted material. If you as a reader have any comments/suggestions/feedback that you would like to provide, please use the review box below. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.**

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**Chapter 5: Two Sides of the Coin  
New York City, NY - April 2014**

Julius removed his animus headgear and set it on his desk before blinking a few times to adjust his vision to the fluorescent lighting overhead. The virtual reality of the animus always messed with his vision when he unplugged, most likely due to the natural light that people from history used. Though technology made people's lives easier in these modern times, there was something appealing about the simpler lives that Edward and Jennifer lived in without cellphones, cars, and computers.

Once he adjusted, Julius looked to his monitor and scanned over the data collected from his dive into Jennifer Scott's memory. She was nineteen years of age, well educated, and unattached, though she seemed to have plenty of suitors. She had a strong desire to continue learning with no apparent desire to follow in her father's footsteps. The preliminary findings seemed to suggest that she was a rather ordinary person of a famous father. The one unknown to the story thus far was the object called the Eye of God.

Julius pulled up a browser on his touchscreen monitor and did a quick search for references to the Eye of God. After a little digging, he found several references to the Freemasons and a pyramid shape object with an eye at its center, which matched the descriptions made by Angelo to Edward. Also known as the Eye of Providence, it was a symbol meaning a divine figure watching over humanity. There was not, however, any reference to any major historical objects matching the symbol from the 1700's that Julius could find.

Just because there was no mention of an object didn't mean that there wasn't one. The pieces of Eden, whether by the First Race's design or by human intervention, usually didn't show up in history books. They were too powerful for the general public to know about. If that was the case, Julius needed to get this information to Becca and Shaun right away so they could start digging through the Order's archives for more information.

A quick glance at the clock on his computer told Julius that it was lunchtime already and the perfect opportunity to get away from the office. Due to the office's security measures, all cellular and wifi traffic inside the building was monitored for breaches in NDA agreements. That meant he needed to go out of the building before handing over any information.

Julius stood up from his desk with tablet in hand after locking down his desktop. He then made his way to the main elevator were a group of employees were talking excitedly. As he approached, Roger, another animus tech who also transferred from Canada, flashed a smile and waved Julius over.

"Hey Julius! I want you to meet some people!" Roger said.

Julius walked up and looked over at the three people standing with Roger. The one to his left was a man of black hair and eyes with a wiry frame who was introduced as Anthony. To the right was a man of nordic appearance with blonde hair, green eyes, and an athletic build who introduced himself as Howard. Lastly, Roger introduced Mara; a brunette of average height with small nose and storm cloud colored eyes. Each of them gave Julius a smile and shook hands with him and said hello.

"Julius is the one who cracked the Kenway project." Roger said to the group.

"Seriously? You're the guy?" Howard asked.

"Dude, that was some serious diving you did. Your sync ratio tops the whole floor." Anthony said.

"Almost tops the floor." Mara corrected as she ran her fingers through her hair. The smell of vanilla filtered into the air and caught Julius' attention. It was pleasant and subtle, just enough to get someone's attention but not scream her presence to everyone.

Julius gave a smile, "I'm just doing my job is all. I'm not here to prove anything."

Anthony shook his head, "Don't be modest. Revel in your success man. If I could reach that kind of sync ratio, maybe I'd be done with this damn French Revolution dive already."

Howard nodded, "I hear ya, but you got it good compared to Imperial China. The stupid translator programs keep going off line and so I can't figure out half of what my lady is even saying."

"At least you are on a project right now." Roger replied with a sigh, "I'm stuck in with database maintenance right now."

Julius put a comforting hand to Roger's shoulder, "I'm sure you'll get a new project soon." He said and then looked to Mara, "What about you? What project are you working on?"

Mara was quiet for a moment before speaking, "Early Colonial period."

"Oh really? Some am I. Which country?" Julius asked.

"England, 1730's. It follows the life of this guy named Bryson Moore. He was supposed to be this infamous thief who stole a bunch of artifacts from the Freemasons during their rise to power. It is supposed to be for this drama, intrigue and suspense game being developed, but to be honest, it is all rather boring."

The mention of Bryson Moore made Julius take notice and arch a brow. She was working the same angle that he was. That meant Abstergo was serious about finding more information on the Eye of God. Now he definitely needed to get out and warn the Order of what was going on. He also needed to not let Mara in on what he knew just yet, not until he could determine which side she was playing for. He hoped she was just a pawn like most of the employees as she was pleasing to look at and seemed to be so done he could get to know more.

"What about you?" Mara asked.

Julius gave a smile and a shrug, "Nothing all the exciting right now. Just some fact finding for a possible Kenway sequel. Mostly I'm just rehashing old material."

Howard and Anthony both gave a frown. "Dude, that's just wrong. With your talents, you should be working on something brand new." Anthony said, "Well, if you want to do something else, I could use a fresh set of eyes on this French Revolution business.

Mara, however, arched a brow, "Edward Kenway did have some interactions with Moore from what I have seen so far, but it was after his pirate adventures from what I can tell. Any chance you are that far into his life? Maybe compare notes?"

"I honestly haven't gotten very far yet as I just started today. I've mostly just been recapping old info since it has been awhile." Julius said quickly. She was far enough into her dive that she had already reached the few scenes he reviewed this morning and that made Mara even more dangerous. That meant she knew about the Eye of God and made Julius wonder even more which side she was on by wanting to compare notes. The fact that she mentioned it was boring meant she was hiding what she knew.

"Well, if you happen to run I to Moore let me know. I would another set of eyes on his life." Mara said.

Julius gave a nod, "Absolutely." He said and then glanced at the clock on the wall to see that ten minutes had already passed. If he was going to drop off the material, he needed to leave soon. "Anyhow, I need to run out and grab some lunch so I'll catch up with you all later."

"Hey, we should all get together for lunch some other time. I would love to pick your brain on how you do your dives." Anthony said.

"Good idea." Roger said.

"Certainly. We can do that." Julius said and then glanced at the clock again and started to step away when he saw a large man moving through the office pool. He was dressed in a black suit and tie with blonde hair slicked back in a ponytail. He looked like a Nordic viking with a weightlifting fetish. As the man wove his way through the cubicles, it took only a moment for Julius to recognize the man's bold face; it was the man from this morning's chase who nearly put a bullet in his back.

Julius gave a wave to the group, "You all have a good afternoon." He said before quickly making his to the elevator before Mr. Viking noticed him standing out in the open. Using his tablet, Julius told the elevator to go down to the lobby. After the doors shut and the elevator started its descent, Julius gave a sigh of relief.

That security guard was going to cause him problems down the road and he needed to figure out a way to resolve the problem before it became an issue. Julius had yet to get to the actual killing portion of his training and to be honest with himself, he wasn't sure did he could kill, not in cold blood. Unlike the other members of the Order, Julius was not born and bred for the lifestyle. Membership into the Assassins, as he was learning, was usually handed down from parent to child. There was the occasional adoption of a new member like Edward Kenway and Adewale, but they were typically the exception to the rule. It also helped that they already had the skills to be a competent Assassin. Julius was just a single college dropout with aspirations of being a video game designer. There was no reason for him to be thrust into the world of Templars and Assassins. It was almost too much for him to handle.

Yet, after his experience in diving into Edward's life, something inside of him kept him going to seek out new things. He had never been much of an adventurous person prior to the Kenway events, preferring the comforts of his apartment rather than the outdoors. Afterwards, however, the back of his mind was now starting to push the desire to experience new things. He had never brought it up to Rebecca and Shaun, thinking it was just the rush of adrenaline from his near death experience with the Sage. Now that he was several months removed from that situation, he found that the desire was still there and what drove him to accept the Order's offer to join and spy on Abstergo.

Passing through security to the outside went with issue much to Julius' relief. Once he was out on the street, he quickly made his way to a nearby bistro and took a seat at the outdoor seating. After the waitress took his lunch order, Julius took out his smartphone and synced it to his tablet. He then began transferring the data on Jennifer Scott and finished just as his lunch arrived. As he ate his lunch, Julius uploaded the files to Rebecca's cloud server. He then sent her a quick text message to check the file. Once the upload was completed, he used a hacker app designed by Rebecca from his phone to his tablet to erase the sync so Agstergo wouldn't know he was smuggling files out of the office.

Once his lunch was done, Julius made his way back to the office when his phone vibrated in his pocket. It was Rebecca texting to say the files were received and being reviewed. After slipping his phone back into his pocket, Julius headed back into the office to see what else Jennifer Scott had in store for him.


	6. Chapter 6: The Wolf and the Doe

**Author's Note: This is a work of fiction using the setting presented in the Assassin's Creed world. I do not claim ownership over any copyrighted material. If you as a reader have any comments/suggestions/feedback that you would like to provide, please use the review box below. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.**

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**Chapter 6: The Wolf and the Doe**  
**London, England - November 1732**

More than three months passed since Jennifer's father accepted the assignment of hunting down James Anderson. The weather was quickly approaching the end of fall weather and the beautiful autumn colors were giving way to evergreens and the onset of colder winds. Jennifer usually enjoyed the winter season for its festive atmosphere and parties.

This winter, however, her father was finally leaving for his mission with the Order. Over the past three months, Edward spent much of his time away from home, spending days at a time searching and scouting James Anderson. When he was home, he spoke nothing of his work, taking the time instead to be a father to Jennifer and Haytham. He even spent time with Oxford to try and get them to give Jennifer an exception so she could enroll, but they refused to discuss the matter and closed their doors to the idea for the winter.

Determined to make things right, Edward presented Jennifer with a letter made with several individual professors from Oxford willing to give Jennifer personal tutelage until Oxford was willing to allow her to enroll. Jennifer was excited by the news, giving her father a hug and thanked him over and over.

It wasn't until the dreaded day of Edward's departure for his mission that the perfect season came to an end. It started when Edward called her down from her room to the study. She was dressed in a simple white dress and slippers as she exited her room and headed down the stairs. She had spent the whole day indoors and, as usual, only spent a small amount of time on makeup and her hair. When she entered the study, she suddenly wished she had spent more time making herself more presentable.

Standing in the study was Edward and the members of the Assassin Order. Angelo Auditore da Firenze was dressed in clothing of loose fitting clothing of white while standing next to Edward as they spoke quietly. Bryson Moore, dressed in more casual commoner clothing, was again standing off to the side near the wall. His hair was left free and a thin beard and mustache were starting to grow in.

Jennifer drank in Bryson's appearance like a fine wine before quickly looking away to her father and tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Ah Jenny! Good, come here, I want to introduce you to someone." Edward said as he held out his to her.

She made a quick glance at Bryson again and saw that his full attention was directed at her. Jennifer wondered if he liked what he saw? She then cursed herself again for not looking more presentable. She looked away and headed to her father with a smile, "Yes father."

Edward, seemingly oblivious to the glances between his daughter and Bryson, motioned to the man standing beside him, "This is Angelo Auditore da Firenze." He said with an approving smile, "Angelo, this is my daughter Jennifer Scott."

Angelo gave a sweeping dramatic bow, "A pleasure to meet the daughter of the infamous Edward Kenway. Your beauty rivals the Ladies of Firenze, if not all of Italy."

Jennifer flashed a smile, "You're too kind sir."

"Complimenting a woman is never too kind." Angelo said and then motioned to the young man against the wall, "The brooding one over there is Bryson Moore."

Bryson gave a small nod of his head, but didn't move away from the wall, "A pleasure ma'am."

"A pleasure to meet you." Jennifer said, a voice a tad bit more quiet than before. The man's apparent dislike of the situation matched her own desire to not have her father leave on a possible deadly mission.

"Bah! Please don't mind him my lady, he sometimes forgets his manners." Angelo said while shooting a glare at Bryson.

"Well, now that introductions are out of the way," Edward said as he turned to Jennifer, "Angelo and I must depart on business. We should not be gone very long, a few months at most depending on the weather. Bryson will be residing here at the estate during our absence in case anything should go wrong."

Jennifer gave a slow nod, "I know father. Please be careful."

Edward bit at his lower lip and then nodded, "I will do my best Jenny. Also, don't forget that if something does happen, I want you to listen to Bryson. He has been trained to deal with trouble. He will see you to Firenze where the Order will protect you and Haytham."

"I know father."

"Promise me Jenny."

Jennifer gave a huff, but nodded, "I promise father."

Angelo gave out a hearty laugh, "A rebel that one. Reminds me of a certain young pupil of mine."

Edward gave a chuckle, "Aye." He said before stepping up and giving Jennifer a hug, "Be safe love."

"You too father." Jennifer replied, returning the hug.

They stood holding each other for a time before Edward finally stepped away, "I will." He said and then looked to Angelo, "Let's go."

Angelo gave a nod and made his way to Bryson, where they clasped forearms, "Keep your eyes and ears open and keep her safe."

The blasé expression changed to a warming nod, "I won't let anything happen to her master."

"Good," Angelo said with a grin, "Lord help someone who tries. We see each other again."

"Be safe." Bryson said.

Angelo gave a grin and then exited the room followed by Edward. A moment later the front door opened and closed, signaling the beginning of their mission. With the flamboyant demeanor of both Assassins now gone, silence settled on the house like a cloak. Jennifer looked over to Bryson, who was looking out the window.

"I don't think the bad men are going to come the moment my father leaves." Jennifer said with a small amused smile.

Bryson tore his gaze from the window and looked to her with a sour expression, "One must remain ever vigilant in such uncertain times."

Jennifer tilted her head curiously and then gave a short giggle, "Are you going to be vigilant and stand by that window the whole time you are here?"

"Well...I..." Bryson stammered, caught off guard by the question, "Of course not. But there are some ground rules that we should establish so I can ensure your safety."

"Oh? Please, do tell." Jennifer said, still amused.

Bryson stepped away from the window and held up a finger, "First, I will approve all expeditions from the estate beforehand so the route and destination can be secured. I will also accompany you on all such trips."

Jennifer arched a brow, her smiling fading away, "I don't need your approval to go somewhere."

"Second," Bryson continued holding up a second finger, "You will refrain from telling anyone what your father is doing and where he has gone. Any strangers who begin to inquire as to your father's whereabouts will be reported to me immediately."

"Well that makes sense I suppose..." Jennifer said.

Bryson held up a third finger, "Third. All visitors to the estate are to be cleared by me first."

Jennifer gave a growl of frustration, "Now wait just a minute. I have a life outside of all of this. I have friends who will wonder why I have suddenly become a recluse, which will only draw attention to what is going on."

"And what if one of those friends is turned by a Templar and sent here to kill you? I do not mean to constrict your life, but these rules are for your safety." Bryson said.

"Well I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it. You just have to follow it."

"You don't get it do you? You aren't my husband. You can't order me around like this! I'm part of the high society of London and daughter to a respected member of society here." Jennifer said, balling up her fists.

Bryson narrowed his eyes, "I understand very well Miss Scott, obviously more than you do. Your father and my mentor are targeting one of the highest ranking members of the Freemasons, who also happen to be aligned with the Templars. They are, for all intents and purposes, one and the same entity. The fallout from this mission will have consequences, which could bring their lives in direct danger. That danger will spread to everyone connected to them, which includes you and Haytham. It can spread to your friends and their families and even the entire Order. So until the danger is passed, you will listen to me and follow my rules. Are we clear?"

Jennifer opened her mouth in surprise and stammered, "But this isn't..."

"I asked if we are clear." Bryson said.

"But..."

"Are we clear Miss Scott?"

Jennifer hanged her head in defeat, "Yes." she said quietly. This was not what she expected. She had hoped that the few months together and almost alone with the cute man would allow her to learn more about him and maybe see if he was maybe worth pursuing. After this conversation, however, she wanted nothing to do with him and his unwillingness to listen to reason. It was going to be a long winter.


	7. Chapter 7: The Adventure Begins

**Author's Note: This is a work of fiction using the setting presented in the Assassin's Creed world. I do not claim ownership over any copyrighted material. If you as a reader have any comments/suggestions/feedback that you would like to provide, please use the review box below. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.**

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**Chapter 7: The Adventure Begins**  
**London, England - January 1732**

"I wish you never came here!" Jennifer screamed as she slammed her bedroom door. It was a snowy Friday evening and once again, Bryson had denied her request to attend a social gathering at the Wilcott residence.

Next to Christmas, the Wilcott Winter Galla was the event of the season. All of her friends would be there as would Edmund Wilcott, a young man attending Oxford for a degree in medicine. He was assigned to be her tutor by her father before his departure on his mission. In the three times she had met him over the past two months, Jennifer had come to find Edmund to be educated, kind, and handsome; everything she looked for in a man unlike Bryson Moore.

The past two months had been nothing short of miserable. The first couple of weeks were filled with the two of them butting heads over every little thing imaginable, yet, he was not overly strict on her requests to socialize. On those trips, Bryson would keep his distance, but would not remain out of sight like she thought a good Assassin would. Instead, he remained out in the open dressed in his faded clothes befitting a London commoner. It was an eye sore to those of higher station and her friends, those of wealth and power, soon stopped inviting her to gathering for not wanting her obvious shadow to tag along.

After that is when the arguments really grew in depth and anger until Bryson began to outright refused to go out at all. It was also at that time that she began her fancy with Edmund. Jennifer knew it wasn't a coincidence that Bryson was keeping her from seeing the man she was quickly growing affections for. She knew he was jealous that she liked so done other than him, though he never admitted to such acquisitions. He remained stubborn and rigid.

Their yelling matches had become a common and well known occurrence among the servant staff as well as Haytham. Jennifer's younger brother was conflicted by the growing resentment between her and Bryson. Due to Edward's subtle training with her brother, Haytham was fascinated in all things that were the Assassin Order. To see his own sister continually argue and berate a member of that Order had the up intended result of stirring rebellion and misbehavior in Haytham. Jennifer was stuck between standing up for her desires against Bryson's unreasonable defiance and Haytham tender feelings.

Jennifer walked over to her closet and began changing out of her formal dress for something more casual. There was no use in fighting Bryson about the party now that he had made up hid kind. The elegant sapphire blue dress with corset was exchanged for a simple cotton dress of yellow and then freedom of breath. Once she was changed, Jennifer made her way over to her desk to removal her jewelry when she heard a loud crash from beyond the door that sounded like wood and glass breaking.

With a roll of her eyes, Jennifer made her way to the bedroom and flung it open with a dramatic flair, "Bryson! There better be nothing broken when I come down there!" She yelled. A fleeting thought gave her hope that maybe Bryson broke one of her father's priceless New World treasures. She could then use it as an excuse to finally kick him out of the house and bring her life back into order.

Another crash that sounded like dish ware came from downstairs that made Jennifer arch a brow. Bryson didn't seem so upset over their argument that he would start throwing dishes. They had worse arguments than the one this evening without resorting to destruction of property.

"Bryson?" Jennifer called out as she started making her way towards the staircase. When no reply came, she made her way down the stairs and cautiously made her way down the hallway towards the study where Bryson usually spent his time.

As Jennifer reached for the doorknob, she saw something move from the corner of her eye. In that moment she felt her body freeze in fear. Did the Templars come to kill after all? Did her father fail in his mission? Was her father dead? Was she about to die? Was Haytham ok? All of these questions made her question everything that happened over the past two months with Bryson and hope that her antics about a party had not drove him away from the house, leaving them unprotected when they needed it the most.

Jennifer slowly turned her head to the right to see a man of average size step out from the shadows. He was dressed in dark, nondescript clothing and a traditional English broad sword with a church cross designed into the crossbar in his hand. She tried to scream, but her fear gripped her tighter than the worse metal-boned corset.

The man took a step forward as a grin peeked from behind his scowl. He licked his lips as he raised his sword to cut Jennifer down where she stood, unable to move from her own dread of seeing death stalk her. Yet, instead of closing her eyes, she watched in horror as the sword began its heavy fall towards her face.

The sword never made it to her tender flesh as Bryson crashed through the door and barreled into her at full force. Jennifer crashed to the ground hard, the impact loosening the grip that fear had upon her. A flood of worry and uncertainty came crashing into her mind as she tried to piece together what was happening. They were being attacked by men with religious crosses on their swords. It meant that her father indeed did run into trouble and now the Templars and the Freemasons were coming after her and Haytham.

Jennifer looked up to see Bryson standing over top of her with his sword out and crossed against the attacker's blade. Blood was running down his right arm for what looked like a sword wound as he tried to push the Templar's sword away. The attacker, however, pressed in with more force and drove Bryson back a step. Overpowered by the man, Bryson tripped over Jennifer's leg and fell back onto the floor, his sword dislodged from his hand and clattering to the ground next to Jennifer. The Templar then surged forward for the kill with his sword pointed at Bryson's chest.

Jennifer was faster. Acting on pure instinct, she lashed with her leg to kick the Templar in the knee. She then grabbed Bryson's sword and made a one-handed swing at the Templar's face. The blade made a shallow cut along the man's cheek that momentarily blinded him with pain and blood.

Bryson took the opening he needed and scrambled to his feet. With a flick of his wrist he extended his hidden blade and jumped onto the Templar, driving it into the Templar's neck. Bryson rode the a Templar to the ground as he died gurgling on his own blood.

"Oh my god. Oh my god." Jennifer stammered as she dropped the blood tipped sword to the ground and out her hand to her face, "What have I done?"

Bryson stood up from the Templar and turned to face Jennifer. Partially lit in the candlelight from the study, the young man almost looked like her father with his strong build and determined demeanor. He held out his hand to Jennifer, "Don't worry about that right now. We need to get Haytham and leave."

Jennifer's eyes went wide as she thought of her brother, "My God! Haytham! He's upstairs in his room." She said as she quickly got to her feet with Bryson's help.

"Let's go." Bryson said as he led her to the stairs still holding onto her hand.

The two raced up the stairs and down the hall to Haytham's room. When they reached the door, they found that it was already open. Bryson did not pause as he moved into the room, finding another man in black clothing standing above a sleeping Haytham with his sword held high for the killing blow.

As Jennifer entered and saw her little brother in imminent danger, she screamed in horror. The sudden scream caused the a Templar to pause and turn around, just in time for Bryson to barrel into him with his hidden blade driving into his gut. The two then went crashing to the bed, struggling to gain dominance over the other.

Haytham woke up and immediately screamed as he saw Bryson and the man fighting for position. Jennifer rushed a crossed the room to her brother and scooped him out of the bed much to his relief. He flung his arms around neck and began crying from not understanding what was happening.

A punch to the face by the Templar sent Bryson reeling back off the bed. The man then scrambled to his feet and quickly looked around for his sword and saw it on the floor. He picked up the sword and turned to face Jennifer and Bryson with a cruel glare, "Now you die." He growled.

Jennifer looked around and saw that Bryson was still struggling to get to his feet. She backed away from the Templar until she bumped into the wall next to the bedroom window. There was no place to run and no place to hide. Jennifer looked to the Templar and felt a calming feeling wash over her as she stared death in the face. The fear of death left her mind and she was left with the ability to think clearly. Bryson was down and not able to help. She was holding a scared Haytham, which prevented her attacking the Templar. The only advantage she had on her side was that the Templar thought of her as a scared girl. That she could use to her advantage.

As the Templar rushed her with his sword pointed at the two of them, Jennifer waited until the last possible moment to move. She then sidestepped to the right, called upon her dancing lessons to guide her feet. The sword bit deeply into the wall beside her, though the blade was close enough to cut her dress and draw blood along her hip. Jennifer then lashed out with her foot and kicked the Templar in the groin.

The Templar crumbled to the ground with a groan while Jennifer ran towards the door stilling holding Haytham. Halfway through the door, however, Jennifer paused and looked back to Bryson who was still trying to clear away the foggiest from being punched in the head.

For a brief moment she considered leaving the Assassin behind to deal with the Templar so she could make her escape. It would be her chance to finally be rid of the young man who had made her life a living hell for the past two months. Yet, as he groggily got to his feet, she remembered that he also saved her life and vowed to continue doing so. She knew nothing of fighting and surviving. She always declined her father's offer to teach her the skills of being an Assassin, but she never thought it would be so etching that she would need. Now she regretted that decision and was now forced to take Bryson's help, even if she didn't like him.

"Bryson!" Jennifer called out to get his attention.

Bryson slowly looked over to her as he held his head with one hand. He nodded in acknowledgment and got to his feet with the help from the bed. He then made his way to the door, "Let's go." He said weakly.

As the three of them ran down the stairs and out of the house, Jennifer took one last look back and wondered if she would ever be able to return home. The one seemingly impossible result of her father's mission had just come true and she was now on her way to Italy with nothing but her house dress, her dear innocent brother she loved, and a young assassin whom she disliked. It was the beginning of an adventure that she knew she was going to hate.

Bryson, now more recovered from his head wound, quickly obtained two horses for the three of them. They saddled up and rode off into the darkness as snow began to fall.


	8. Chapter 8: Flight of the Doe

**Author's Note: This is a work of fiction using the setting presented in the Assassin's Creed world. I do not claim ownership over any copyrighted material. If you as a reader have any comments/suggestions/feedback that you would like to provide, please use the review box below. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.**

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**Chapter 8: Flight of the Doe  
London, England - January 1732**

And they ran.

Jennifer held onto Haytham with all of her strength as she followed Bryson through the wooded lands surrounding the Kenway estate. A flood of emotions threatened to reduce her to tears, but she held it back while biting her bottom lip. She needed to be strong for Haytham who didn't understand what was going on, he only knew that people were trying to kill both of them. He was too young to be expected to keep his wits about him so she needed to do it for him. It also meant she had to come to grips with what happened.

The snow surrounding the Kenway Estate was only ankle deep as they ran until they reached the wild, unkept area. Untouched by the land keepers, the snow quickly became deeper, coming up to almost her knees. The chilly winter air was also now starting to creep past the adrenaline rush and register on her body. In their haste to leave, there was no time to grab their heavy coats, leaving them in their normal house clothing. Poor Haytham wasn't even wearing shoes.

After two hundreds, Bryson held up his hand as he came to a stop. He then crouched down in the snow while looking out into the forest.

Jennifer came up just behind him and knelt in the snow, "What is it?" She whispered.

"I saw someone moving around in the forest. It could be a Templar." Bryson whispered back, "Stay here. I'm going to check it out."

Jennifer reached out to grabbed Bryson's arm, "Don't leave me here alone."

Bryson looked over to her and gave a reassuring smile, "I'm not going to leave you. Just stay close to that tree over there and keep quiet."

"Ok." Jennifer said and made her way over to a large oak tree. She then turned and watched Bryson stalk into the dark forest, easily slipping out of her field of vision as he extended his hidden blade from the underside of his arm.

Once he was gone from view, Jennifer stayed huddled with Haytham against the oak tree and strained to listen for anything that would give a hint as to what was happening. All she could hear, however, was the rustling of the trees and the whistle of the wind. Several moments passed of stillness until she saw Bryson reemerge from the woods with blood over his hand and hidden blade. There was also now a broad sword tucked into his belt.

Jennifer stepped out from behind the tree holding Haytham tight to her body, "Is it ok now?"

"I only found one." Bryson said with a nod, "We should get moving."

"Bryson, we need to find shelter." Jennifer called out.

Bryson shook his head, "No time. We need to get to the harbor quickly. The _Sea Lion_ sets sail this evening for France. We need to get on that ship."

"But Bryson, it's freezing out here. We don't have coats and Haytham doesn't even have shoes." Jennifer said.

Bryson gave a frown, "It isn't far to the harbor. We can make it in time, but we have to move."

"But Bryson..." Jennifer started to say.

"Jennifer, right now you are going to need to trust me now," Bryson said, holding out his hand to her, "Can you do that for me?"

Jennifer looked to Bryson and bit her bottom lip. Her mind told her that it may not be a good idea. He was young and inexperienced. She and Haytham had near met their deaths twice now under his watch. Yet, her heart told her that he despite that, he did actually mean to protect her and was willing to kill without pause to ensure their safety. She had to admit that she and Haytham would have a better chance at surviving with Bryson than not.

"All right." Jennifer said quietly taking his offered hand, "Let's go."

Bryson took her hand and they started running once again.

The snow crunched underneath Jennifer's soft souled slippers and the cold wetness was soaking through the material. By the time they reached the main road, her feet were numb from the cold and she was starting to shiver from the cold air that went through her thin dress. Poor little Haytham was clenching tightly to her body, trying to burrow himself into her chest seeking warmth.

At this time of night, the main road was only lightly populated with people traveling to and from London proper. Being on the outskirts of the city, while good for keeping common folk away, also meant it they were too far to walk the whole way to the city or the harbor. In the middle of winter is house clothes would make a walk nigh impossible.

"Bryson, we need horses." Jennifer said as he teeth chattered.

Bryson gave a nod as he looked around. He then paused as he looked down the road. His eyes went wide and he then grabbed Jennifer's arm and yanked her into a run, "Templars!"

Jennifer looked down the road as Bryson pulled her along. About a hundred yards down she saw four men dressed in white cloaks in lantern light from their carriage that was blocking the road. Whatever her father did with Angelo, they must have severely pissed off the Templars and Freemasons for them to come after her with so many men and resources.

The three of them ran across the road towards a homestead located on open ground. To the side of the house was a large barn and pasture covered in snow as well as a frozen pond that would normally provide drinking water for animals. Bryson led Jennifer to the house, but before they could reach the front door, it opened to show a trio of men in white cloaks with a Red Cross sewn on their white tunics.

The Templars thanked a person inside for their help and then froze as they saw the three running towards the house. In their blood covered clothes, it was obvious who they were and being out in the open, there was no place to duck for cover. The Templar in the center pointed out to them and called out for them to stop.

"Dammit." Bryson hissed as he skidded to a halt, still holding Jennifer's hand. He then drew the broad sword at his belt and stepped forward, "Stay behind me." He said to Jennifer.

Jennifer nodded quickly as she pulled her hand away and held tightly onto Haytham. She watched as Bryson then moved towards the Templars with his sword held in front of him. The Templars, seeing the armed man, drew their own swords and advanced side by side to attack.

The Templar to the right charged first, eager to start the fights he swung his sword high, hoping to take Bryson's head in one blow. The Assassin easily ducked the swing and stepped to the side before lashing out with his sword. The blade bit deeply into the Templars stomach and spilled his intestines out onto the white snow.

The second Templar ran in, though more cautious as he made a power lunge for Bryson's heart. With a flick of his arm, Bryson used his sword to bat away the thrust. He then stepped inside the Templar's reach and extended his hidden blade before shoving it into the man's throat. More hot blood fell onto the white snow covered ground.

With two Templar's already dead, Bryson turned to face the third, who advanced on him quickly. The Templar made a controlled swing at Bryson, who blocked it with his sword. When he attempted to counter attack, the Templar drew a long dagger and deflected the attack. The surprise defense caused Bryson to hop back a step and consider his options.

Jennifer took a step back as well as she watched Bryson efficiently kill two armed men in just as many breaths. Now that the element of surprise was over, she was amazed out of well-trained her protector actually was. His movements were fluid and enacted with complete confidence in his abilities. This must have been what her father meant when he said she would be ok. Then there was the flow of his hair in the air as he whirled around to narrowly avoid a sword swing and the way his muscles went rigid as he counterattacked. Bryson was a beautiful man, even when in the depths of possible of death.

Yet, there was something nagging at the back of her mind that she couldn't quite place. It was as if she forgot about something important. Jennifer then chanced a glance around and then went wide-eyed when she saw four Templars from the road blockade moving in their direction.

"Bryson!" Jennifer yelled, "There coming from behind!"


	9. Chapter 9: Blood and Ice

**Author's Note: This is a work of fiction using the setting presented in the Assassin's Creed world. I do not claim ownership over any copyrighted material. If you as a reader have any comments/suggestions/feedback that you would like to provide, please use the review box below. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.**

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**Chapter 9: Blood and Ice**

**London, England - January 1732**

Jennifer didn't know what to do. Bryson was still fighting the Templar in front of them while four more were running up from behind them. She didn't see a way to get away. For her, it was more important that Haytham got away, but he was only seven years old and wouldn't know what to do on his own. If they were going to survive, Jennifer was going to need to fight.

Setting Haytham on the ground, she looked into his eyes and shushed him quiet, "Haytham, you need to listen to me."

Haytham wiped his crying eyes and nodded slowly, "Ok Jenny."

"I need you to be a big boy now. Can you do that for me?"

"I can do that."

Jennifer gave a reassuring smile, "Good, now stay close to me and Bryson ok? I need to stop the bad men from trying to take us away."

Haytham gave a nod, "Be careful Jenny."

"I will." Jennifer said before picking up one of the swords from a fallen Templar. It was heavy in her hand and felt unwieldy. She then then turned and faced the four Templars running towards her with their swords out. Jennifer had no idea how she was going to fight four trained men when she didn't know the first about sword fighting. If she charged them, she would just be killed in a matter of moments. She needed to be smart and think her way through the situation.

Considering her options, Jennifer needed to even the odds more against the four charging Templars. That meant she needed to free Bryson from fighting the Templar from the house. She turned around and screamed as she charged the Templar pressing his attack on Bryson.

The battle cry took the Templar by surprise, forcing him to redirect his attention to the new threat. That second of pause was all Bryson needed to act. The young assassin slipped inside the Templar's reach as he extended his hidden blade. With a quick slash, Bryson cut a long gash across the Templar's stomach, who yelled out in pain. Bryson then ducked low underneath a wild sword swing and plunged the hidden blade into the side of the thigh, slicing through the artery. He then stabbed the Templar in the groin before spinning out of the way of another errant sword swing. Now, standing behind the Templar, Bryson rammed his blade into the man's spine. the blow dropped him to the ground in a bloody mess.

Jennifer's charge came to a stop just before reaching the now dying Templar, "I was going to help..."

Bryson flashed a smile, "And you did." he said and then looked behind her to the running reinforcements, "Come on, we need to get out of here."

"Haytham!" Jennifer called out and turned to see her brother moving away from the battle towards the barn.

The two quickly took off after Haytham, running through the snow and onto frozen pond. Just as they were halfway across, Jennifer heard a gunshot sound off behind her and shards of ice explode next to her. She looked back behind her and saw the Templars had drawn pistols and were taking aim. A second shot rang out and caught Bryson in the shoulder. The impact knocked him down to the ice, causing cracks in the frozen pond to appear. The third shot missed her barely as she sliced to a stop to go back for Bryson.

"Get out of here!" Bryson yelled as he tried to pick himself off the ice, causing more cracks to spiral across the ice.

Jennifer shook her head, "I can't leave without you!" Jennifer said, grabbing Bryson's good arm to try and hoist him to his feet.

Before Bryson could get to his feet, the fourth pistol shoot sounded off and Jennifer felt hot pain explode from her shoulder as the bullet knocked her back onto the ice. She had never experienced pain like this before and it felt like her shoulder was on fire that overloaded her senses. The first thing she did was turn to look for Haytham and saw him standing on land in front of the barn. He was looking back at her with terror covering his face and screaming out her name.

"Bryson, get Haytham out of here." Jennifer said as she struggled to get back up to her feet. More cracks appeared in the ice as she moved and pressed more weight onto the quickly destabilizing ice.

Bryson shook his head, "We'll get out of this together." He said with a grunt as he slowly got to his feet and held out his good arm to her.

Jennifer looked up at the young man and took his arm to get to her feet. Another series of audible cracks sounded off from the ice that prompted them both to begin running. A quick look behind them told Jennifer that the Templars were running after them while also trying to reload their pistols and it wouldn't be long before they were finished.

The two ran across the pond and finally reached the barn where Haytham was waiting for them when the first gunshot rang out. The bullet hit the ice just behind them, which caused the spider web of cracks to finally give way to a massive break in the ice. The fissure snaked its way across the pond to where the Templars stood on the other end. With their combined weight, the ice finally gave way and plunged them into the frigid water of the pond.

Jennifer collapsed onto the snow in front of Haytham and wrapped him into a hug. Her shoulder still hurt like nothing else she had felt before, but the sense of relief at surviving allowed her a moment of peace.

"Jennifer, we have to go." Bryson said as he watched the pond closely. The Templars were struggling to remove themselves for the pond, but having a difficult time with the ice and the freezing temperature of the water.

"To the boat, I know." Jennifer said as she stood up slowly, "Let's go."

Without further delay, the three made their way from the homestead and back into the countryside. Jennifer knew that the route made sense; it was too likely that there could be more Templar agents watching the main road into the city. That meant that they would be forced to continue to run through the snow covered forest for several miles until they reached the city proper near the port.

After less than a mile, however, Jennifer felt her strength begin to leave her body. She felt sluggish and tired as if she had gotten too little sleep after an all-day riding session with her father. When she slowed down, both Bryson and Haytham looked back to her with looks of concern.

"Jennifer, we have to keep moving." Bryson said.

Jennifer gave a weak nod, "I know. I just need to rest a moment."

Bryson walked over to her, looked to the wound on her shoulder and then frowned, "You're bleeding too much. Why didn't you say something?"

"I...I don't know." Jennifer said quietly. Her vision then began to blur and spin as her adrenaline finally began to wear off. Combined with the pain of the bullet wound, loss of blood, and more physical activity than she was used to, Jennifer's body finally said no more and she collapsed onto the snow covered ground.

"Jenny!" Haytham cried as he ran over to his sister.

The last thing Jennifer saw was her brother and Bryson looked down at her with the moon shining in the sky behind them.


End file.
